Industrial services group Cape saw its shares jump 4% after saying that full-year results would beat market expectations. The Aim-quoted business will move to the main market in the summer.

Cape's activities include insulation for metal smelters, scaffolding for energy companies and fire protection for offshore gas rigs. It said record business in the first half of 2007 had continued to be strong in all its key markets for the remainder of the year.

Full-year results released on 19 March will reflect this robust performance with higher profit than forecast by analysts.

The three Australian acquisitions made in the year are expected to make a positive contribution to the 2007 results, Cape said.

This includes PCH, which will become the company's growth platform for Australia during 2008.

The company now plans to focus on cash generation and integration of recent acquisitions.

In a statement, Cape said it 'expects its results for the year ended 31 December 2007 to exceed
current market expectations. Expected levels of utilisation for the first quarter of 2008 are high and the prospects for both the international energy and natural resources sectors in which Cape operates remain very encouraging.'

The trading statement confirms Cape's full recovery from tough times seen at the start of the decade.

Its share price was depressed by litigation fears relating to workers being exposed to asbestos during the late 1970s. A change in management and the launch of a ring-fenced compensation fund for potential claims helped put the business back on track last year.